“We find ourselves fugitives, vagrants, and strangers in our own country.” states former cherokee chief, John Ross upon revealing the tragic, but true fact that Indians were being discriminated and taken from their homes. The U.S was growing rapidly in the mid 1800’s, yet, there was no room for white plantations or people. As America expanded, the east was being explored and the discovery of gold on the eastern states was valuable. The five civilized tribes, The Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole were being forced to relocate West of the Mississippi river due to Americans believing Indians were savages and the discovery of gold in the area. MIgrating the Indians gave the United states an abundance of room to established plantations and continue slavery. The infamous “Trail of Tears” forced thousands of Indigenous people to walk through harsh weather and experience …show more content…
In John G. Burnett's story of the removal of the cherokees (Document A), he stated that indians had to “sleep in wagons and on the ground with no fire” and “ loaded like cattle or sheep into six hundred and forty- five wagons and started toward the west”. Not only did the americans treat them with uncomfortable living situations, but they treated them like aniamls.It was a tradition for Indians to be buried near their native homes but instead, they were burried in shallow, anonymous graves along the trail. John G. Burnett described the cherokee women as “ kind and tender hearted”, the complete opposite of what AMericans believed. In Jackson's second annual message (Document B) he acted as if this were a “happy consummation” and it wouldn't harm anyone. In addition, the indians had no warning whatsoever. As children were being separated from parents, signs of confusion and anger were floating in the air. All this, just for gold and